


timing is everything

by ohjustpeachy



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, POV Bucky Barnes, Pets, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27898192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohjustpeachy/pseuds/ohjustpeachy
Summary: “You adopted Alpine?” He asks, and Bucky realizes from his voice that it’s the same angry man he’d heard earlier.“Um,” Bucky says, “yes. My friends thought I needed a distraction after my tours ended, and she’s… perfect.”The man nods, seems to know exactly what Bucky means. “She is. I came in and met her yesterday. But when I came back for her today they let me know she was spoken for.”Or, Tony and Bucky want to adopt the same cat at the shelter, and feelings ensue.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 22
Kudos: 183
Collections: Winteriron Winter Stockings 2020





	timing is everything

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [sara_wolfe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sara_wolfe/pseuds/sara_wolfe) in the [winteriron_winter_stockings_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/winteriron_winter_stockings_2020) collection. 



> **Prompt:** trying to adopt the same dog/cat  
> 

“What do you mean she’s _spoken for?_ ” A man’s loud, angry voice floats over to where Bucky waits at the animal shelter. 

“As I said yesterday, sir, it’s not like we can put a hold on the animals. If someone comes in willing to adopt, we have to let them.” The receptionist remains patient, though her tone is noticeably more clipped now, Bucky can’t help but notice. 

“I just… had to make sure the house was ready!” The man sounds truly dejected now, and Bucky shakes his head. On one hand, Bucky feels for the guy, having just adopted a cat himself, but on the other, he’d never throw the tantrum this guy is currently indulging in. 

He pokes a finger through the opening of the cat carrier, petting the white, blue-eyed cat inside as he listens and waits. Bucky just has to wait for the volunteer to bring him into the back office to fill out some paperwork before she was really and truly _his._

At the encouragement of Natasha and Sam, who insisted that having something to take care of, something to _love_ that wasn’t the two of them, would be good for him as he adjusted back to life after the army, he’d visited the shelter a few times. All of the animals were cute, each with their little personalities and backstories, some too horrible and sad for Bucky to want to dwell on for too long. 

But as cute as they all were, none had really _spoken_ to him the way this one had. _Alpine_ , the name tag on her enclosure told him, _was a three year-old female who loved to play, but would be just as content to curl up and nap in your lap._ As he’d read the little slip of paper, she seemed to study him, her eyes boring into Bucky’s with a knowing intensity. Without a second thought he’d ask to “meet” her in one of the little cubicle rooms off to the side, and that had been it. 

Bucky had told Sam time and time again that love at first sight wasn’t and could not be real, but he’s starting to wonder if that only applied to humans, because he’d almost certainly loved Alpine from the very first glance. 

Finally, Beth, the volunteer from earlier, comes and leads him into the back. It’s a small, cramped office space with just enough room for the ancient looking desk and chair, and for Bucky to place Alpine’s carrier on the floor by his feet.

“So, I’ll just need you to review these, and I’ll walk you through her medical history, when she’ll need shots, all of that, and then you’ll be good to go. Have you had a cat before?” Beth shoots him a bright smile, one that shows Bucky just how much she probably loves this job, sending formerly abandoned pets to good homes. He smiles back, hopes to convey just how hard he’ll try to give her a comfortable, warm life, even if it is just in his small, one-bedroom apartment in Red Hook. 

“I haven’t,” Bucky admits. “But I’ve been reading a lot.” 

Beth gives him another supportive smile. “There’s plenty of resources on our website, but I have a feeling you two will be great together.”

Twenty minutes later, Bucky returns to the front of the shelter, Alpine’s carrier in hand. There’s a man standing out front of the rows of crates, looking a little forlornly in at them. He’s well dressed, almost _too_ well-dressed for an animal shelter late on a Saturday morning. Seriously, who wears a suite to adopt a cat? But he’s handsome enough, his brown eyes big and contemplative, his dark hair shining with product, that Bucky doesn’t dwell on his attire for too long. 

He’s about to move towards the door when the man clocks him, and, apparently, Alpine, and his face seems to crumple. 

“You adopted Alpine?” He asks, and Bucky realizes from his voice that it’s the same angry man he’d heard earlier. 

“Um,” Bucky says, “yes. My friends thought I needed a distraction after my tours ended, and she’s… perfect.” 

The man nods, seems to know exactly what Bucky means. “She is. I came in and met her yesterday. But when I came back for her today they let me know she was spoken for.”

 _Alpine_ was the cat that had him so upset? Bucky feels bad, suddenly, imagining himself in this guy’s shoes, Alpine lost to someone else because he was too late. He hates the thought of it. 

“I, uh, heard you earlier, actually,” Bucky admits. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…” _Didn’t what?_ Even if he had known, would he really have been willing to hand Alpine off to someone else? _No_.

“It’s fine,” the man tells him. “Snooze you lose and all that. How many times have I told my clients that over the years?” 

“Uh, clients?” Bucky asks. 

“Oh, yeah, I consult on corporate mergers and acquisitions,” Tony says with a wave of his hand. It explained the suit if nothing else. “Kinda like your friends, my assistant insists I need something to distract me. Apparently I’m a workaholic,” the guy continues, running a hand through his hair. “Caring for something other than myself will make me a changed man,” he quips.

“Oh,” Bucky says, trying to think of something better to say. He’s strangely…entranced by him, his easy way of speaking, like he’s relieved to finally be confessing something; the hand in his hair, pulling through product to reveal chaotic curls; the big, expressive brown eyes… Bucky has to blink a few times, clearing his head. He doesn’t even _know_ this person. He should wish him good luck with adopting a pet who wasn’t Alpine, and be on his way. 

Instead, what he says is: “Well, maybe you could… I don’t know, visit her.” 

Seriously, _what_ had gotten into him?

The man frowns at him, like he’d just grown a second head without noticing. “Visit her,” he repeats. “You don’t even know me.”

Bucky thinks about this. “Well, no, not yet. I’m James,” he says, holding out his hand. “But my friends call me Bucky.”

“Well, James-call-me-Bucky, I’m Tony. Tony Stark. My friends call me Tony,” he smirks, taking Bucky’s hand in his. 

“Nice to meet you, Tony,” Bucky says. He knows their handshake is stretching on for way too long now, but neither of them lets go. “Well, if you meant it, I’d love to visit. Any friend of Alpine’s is a friend of mine,” he says, and winks. The action should be ridiculous, who actually _winks_ at someone they just met, after all, but Bucky feels something in his stomach flutter, and he laughs. 

“Right,” he says. “Well…”

“Here’s my card,” Tony says, holding out a thick, embossed maroon business card and pressing it into Bucky’s palm. “Give me a call anytime.”

“I will,” Bucky nods. “Sorry again,” he adss, gesturing to Alpine. 

“I’m sure someday I’ll forgive you,” Tony says, his voice lighter now, teasing. “Though, I don’t think today was a _total_ loss,” he says meaningfully. 

Bucky laughs again, a choked, nervous sound, and stutters out a goodbye to Tony Stark before heading out the door and into the warm afternoon air. 

Once he gets Alpine situated in the car, he pulls out his phone, and Tony’s business card, and texts him before he can talk himself out of it. 

_Hi Tony, it’s Bucky (and Alpine) If you’re free tomorrow, maybe we can grab coffee?_

Heart pounding, he places his phone in the center console, ready to wait hours for a reply, but before Bucky can do as much as start the car, his phone lights up. 

_It’s a date. ;)_

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed what I did with your prompt! :)


End file.
